Bloody Torchwood
by ChelseaxQ
Summary: The Torchwood team find a mysterious device brought through the rift by a strange creature. The device is activated and things get interesting.
1. Changes

**Author's Note**

The Torchwood team discovers a strange device and when it gets activated they realize it has even stranger side effects.

**The Disclaimer: **I own nothing. All rights belong to Russell T. Davies and BBC. I make no money and intend no harm.

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy it, any reviews or comments would be great. :)

* * *

><p>"We're close." shouted Tosh from the back of the SUV. Jack Stomped on the gas and the SUV flew through a busy intersection, narrowly missing several cars.<p>

"Turn left!" said Tosh referring to her hand held rift detector. "We're nearly there." Jack took the corner at close to 90 MPH and Owen, Gwen and Tosh were thrown roughly around in the backseat.

"Take it easy, Jack!" said Gwen grumpily, rubbing her head where it had smashed into the window.

"There it is!" cried Tosh, pointing to an old, abandoned warehouse. The derelict building stood four stories tall. Its interior had been gutted and all that was left was a desiccated shell.

"I think I just saw something." said Ianto from the front seat.

"What? Where?" asked Jack.

"Third floor, fourth window from the right." Ianto replied promptly.

"What was it?"

"It was just a shadow, but it was moving." said Ianto.

They climbed out of the car, guns drawn and advanced, in a line towards the warehouse. The setting sun threw grotesque shadows around them as they neared the door. They tensed as Jack stepped forward and pushed the heavy, metal door open. Jack entered first, closely followed by Ianto, Owen and Gwen. Tosh brought up the rear staring intently down at the device in her hand.

Jack turned to them motioning for Ianto to follow him up the nearest flight of stairs and for the others to take the one at the opposite side of the building. Jack started up the stairs, his Webley leading the way. They reached the second floor landing and quickly scanned the room for movement.

All they saw was an empty room, its stone floor cracked and several of the windows broken. Jack looked across the room and saw the others. He nodded at Owen and pointed upward indicating they move on to the third floor. Owen nodded back and disappeared up the stairs followed by Gwen and Tosh.

Jack turned to Ianto and smiled at him roguishly and then proceeded up the stairs. Once on the landing they spread out covering every inch of the room. The device Tosh was holding beeped once.

"Sources indicate that the spike in rift activity originated from this floor and that whatever came through is still here." she said referring to the hand held.

"Well where is it then? I don't see anything." said Owen, exasperated.

"Um… guys," said Ianto pointing at the ceiling. "Look."

They all looked up at the same instant to see the same dark figure Ianto had seen in the window earlier clinging to the exposed rafters of the old building. In unison they raised their guns, at the same moment the creature leapt from the rafters. It advanced on Ianto and they all opened fire on it. Startled, the creature ran past Ianto, throwing him roughly to the ground and vanished through one of the broken windows.

Jack reached Ianto first and knelt beside him looking worried. "Are you okay, Ianto?" he asked.

"I'm fine." he replied, looking a little dazed as Jack helped him to his feet. "Nothing's broken, but I'll be a bit sore tomorrow."

"You were always gonna be sore tomorrow, Mr. Jones." aid Jack winking at him devilishly.

"Awwwww, C'mon Jack, we don't need to hear that." said Owen sullenly.

"What?" asked Jack "Jealous? You know there's always room for one more, the more the merrier."

"I'd rather shag Janet." said Owen looking disgusted. "You're a sick man Harkness, you know that?"

"You don't know that half of it." he replied flashing Owen a sly grin.

"Hey guys, I think I've found something." Tosh said from the other side of the room.

"What is it?" asked Jack, joining her.

"The creature must have dropped it when it ran off." said Gwen kneeling next to the object. It was a metal sphere about a foot in diameter and was covered in strange markings.

"I'm getting strange readings from it." said Tosh, once again looking at her hand held. "There's a kind of trace element I've never seen before."

"Well, let's get it back to the HUB and run some tests." said Jack

Gwen reached for the sphere. "NO!" shouted Jack. "Don't touch it. We don't know what it is or what it does and until we do, we proceed with caution." He removed his coat and carefully wrapped the sphere in the thick fabric, clutching it to his chest.

They arrived at the HUB a short while later and Tosh immediately took the sphere, careful not to touch it and proceeded to run a number of tests on it. Jack retreated to his office to wait for the results while Ianto went to make coffee. Gwen sat idly in front of her computer and Owen disappeared down into the vaults to check on Janet.

Ianto brought Jack his coffee and sat on the edge of his desk. Jack remained silent waiting for Ianto to say something and when he didn't Jack said "How you feeling?"

"Never better." Ianto answered.

"I worry about you, you know." said Jack.

"You don't have to worry." said Ianto not meeting his eye.

"But I do anyway." said Jack gently taking Ianto's hand in his. Ianto finally met Jack's eyes and smiled warmly at him, Jack smiled back, the gesture in no way forced as it so often was. They sat like that for a while, until the calm was broken by Tosh's voice shouting up at them.

"Jack, I think you need to see this." she said uncertainly.

Jack was out of his chair in n time, taking the stairs two at a time. He was at Tosh's side in seconds. Ianto followed more slowly joining Jack as Gwen left her computer to see what was happening. Seconds later Owen joined them, emerging from the vaults and looking at them curiously. "What's going on? What are you all looking at?"

He went to where they were all standing, staring transfixed at something on the table. Owen looked and saw the sphere lying on the table. The surface was no longer shiny, metal; it was a rich gold. The surface looked as if it were, undulating like the skin of a snake underneath the thick coiled muscle.

"What is it?" asked Owen.

Jack was startled from his reverie and looked "I don't know." he said looking at Tosh. "How did this happen?" he asked her.

"I don't know." she told him, bewildered. "I was just scanning for traces of radiation and my hand brushed against it and it lit up."

"Okay," said Jack forcefully. "No one touch it, it could be dangerous."

"What's that sound?" asked Gwen suddenly. The sphere had begun to emit a low humming sound which was getting progressively louder. "What's happening?' asked Gwen, sounding scared.

"I don't know." said Ianto, looking around. "I feel a bit weird though."

Suddenly the hum from the sphere became a deafening roar. It hovered a few inches off the table and then exploded with a flash of light, leaving them all unconscious. They awoke several minutes later feeling slightly disoriented.

"What the hell was that?" asked Owen, looking at Jack.

"How am I supposed to know?" he said, baffled.

"Well you are the expert aren't you, Captain?"

"Wait…what? I'm not Jack, I'm Ianto. I think you've gone mad Owen.

What! I'm not mad and I'm not Owen. It's me Gwen and you're definitely Jack."

"That's impossible because I'm Jack."

"Bloody Hell!" yelled Ianto. "You look just like me."

"Yeah and you look just like me." said Jack, his playful grin looking out of place on Ianto's face. "I look good from this angle."

You have got to be kidding me!" said Tosh feeling her chest awkwardly.

"Who are you then?" asked Jack.

I'm Owen and I'm a bloody woman! God, this is horrible" he said looking disgustedly at himself.

"Hey!" cried Gwen. "I don't look that bad."

"Is that you Tosh?" asked Owen.

"Yes it is!"

"Sorry," said Owen, sheepishly. "I didn't mean it like that."

"What's going on, Jack?" asked Gwen angrily. "I'm a man!"

"I don't know." said Jack. "But we'll figure it out, we always do."


	2. Unsaid

**Author's Note**

The team goes home to adjust to their new abodes while Ianto has a revelation and Jack is conflicted.

**The Disclaimer: **I own nothing. All rights belong to Russell T. Davies and BBC. I make no money and intend no harm.

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy it, any reviews or comments would be great. :)

* * *

><p>The team sat around the table in the boardroom. Jack stood at the head of the table, his hands planted firmly on its surface, a stern look on his face. He looked around at the expressions of fear and confusion on his team's faces.<p>

"Okay." he said, authoritatively. "We have a problem."

"You think, Jack?" said Owen. "I mean look at me!"

"I know, I know. It's bad." he said. "But look, we've been in worse situations and you know it. So, for now, until we figure this out, we go on with our lives. The sphere stabilized after the explosion and nothing's changed since then. So, I think it's safe to assume we're going to be stuck like this for a while. The most important thing is to stay calm, all right? Go home, get some rest. It's been a long day and tomorrow when we've adjusted a little, we'll find a way to track that creature down. We'll find out exactly what we're dealing with and deal with it. Got it?"

"You can't be serious, Jack." said Gwen looking at him incredulously.

Oh, I am. Got a problem with that?" he asked, eyebrows raised.

"How the hell am I supposed to go home like this? Hmm? What do I tell Rhys when a strange man walks through the front door and says 'hey, I'm your wife.' It's all well and good for you lot, you've got no one to go home to."

"What? Like it's so much easier for us." said Owen angrily. "I've got to go home a woman. Ugh! This is going to ruin my weekend."

"Oh! All right, Mr. Playboy." said Gwen getting angry."

"You'll have nothing to worry about, sweetheart. You're going home as me, just try to contain your excitement, all right?"

"Oh please!" Gwen shouted, disgusted. "I've seen it all before and trust me, it's not that impressive."

Owen opened his mouth to reply but Jack cut him off. "Hey, Hey. You two, take it easy. Fighting won't make this any easier. We're just going to have to trust each other to return each other's bodies like we found them, okay? Do you trust me?"

They looked at him, unsure. "Do you trust me?" he repeated.

"Yes." They all said in unison.

Okay," said Jack. "And do you all trust each other?"

They looked at each other, then back at Jack. "Yes." they said.

"Owen!"

"Yeah, yeah. I trust them, okay?" Owen said sullenly.

"Okay, then there's no reason why this shouldn't work out." said Jack. "And Gwen, you tell Rhys the truth. Tell him something only you would know, he'll believe you. You've gone home from work in a worse state than this."

Jack stood up straight, "All right then." he said putting his hands in his pockets. "Home, all of you."

Owen stormed out of the boardroom closely followed by Gwen and their voices could be heard, arguing as they moved out of earshot. Tosh got up nervously, looked at Jack uncertainly, and then followed in their wake.

Ianto stood, brushing the front of the long RAF coat he now wore. "I always loved this coat." he said looking at his feet. "This is weird, Jack"

"What's so bad about it, it's like dating yourself." he said, smiling.

"The only man you'll ever be happy with." said Ianto returning his smile.

"That's not true." said Jack. "You make me happy." Jack took a step towards him and Ianto met his eyes. He found it strange looking into his own face. Jack moved closer and Ianto closed his eyes as Jack gently kissed him.

In that moment Ianto knew two things for sure. The first was that, no matter what happened, Jack would always pull them through. The second was that he loved Jack more deeply and completely than anyone he had ever known.

Jack pulled away, looking at him carefully. Ianto desperately wanted to tell him the truth; that he had always loved him. The words were nearly out of his mouth before he stopped them. He knew that no matter how much Jack may care about him, he would never love him. He looked away, unable to meet Jack's eyes.

"You okay?" asked Jack. "Is it weird? I'm sorry; I didn't mean to…I just wanted…"

"It's not that." said Ianto quickly, cutting him off.

"What's wrong then?"

"Nothing." said Ianto. "It's just…"

What?"

Ianto was on the verge of telling him again and again he decided against it. It would only make things harder, for both of them. "Nothing, really it's nothing. I'm fine."

"Okay." said Jack simply.

"I'd better be going. See you tomorrow." said Ianto, walking awkwardly to the door, unused to the longer, more powerful legs he now possessed.

Jack watched Ianto go and when he was sure he was alone, he collapsed into the nearest chair, exhausted. He didn't know how many hours he had spent puzzling over the one mystery he couldn't solve, Ianto Jones.

Jack thought of the look on Ianto's face before he left. Uncertainty, a timidity that was unusual in him. He figured Ianto would have told him everything if only he had pushed a little harder, he almost wished he had. He couldn't bring himself to do it, knowing how much he hated it himself.

That was one of the things he admired most about the Welshman. He never pushed, never pried. He accepted Jack completely, even with all his faults. He never asked him about his past, he didn't need to. Jack hated talking about his past, there was so much of it and Ianto sensed this. He knew and respected the man Jack had become not the man he used to be.

Sitting there in Ianto's best suit, Jack wished with all his heart that he had told Ianto the truth. The truth he had been hiding for too long. He loved him. No matter how hard he tried to deny it, he knew in his heart that it was true. He'd promised himself that he would never tell Ianto, though he desperately wanted to.

Two things prevented Jack from confessing his secret. The first was that, in his long life Jack had learned that some things should remain unsaid, it was less painful that way. Once the words were spoken, he knew everything would change and he didn't want that to happen. He knew that one day, he would lose Ianto and that it would be less painful if he didn't get too close, no matter how much he wanted to.

The second thing was that he was afraid. The great Captain Jack Harkness was afraid of being rejected. He hated himself for feeling such petty emotions but he couldn't help it. After all he was only human. Jack knew how much Ianto had loved Lisa and he figured this thing between them was merely a thing if comfort and healing for Ianto.

The great Captain Jack Harkness, who had faced down Daleks and died more times than he could remember, a rebound. He didn't mind though. If it made Ianto happy then it was worth it.

Jack rose from the chair rubbing his eyes. He hated when he did this to himself and thought no more on the subject. He retreated to his quarters, to change out of Ianto's stiff suit. He lay awake and wondered how his team was coping. He thought of Ianto, at home in his body, a mischievous smile on his face.

Ianto arrived home at around midnight. He unlocked the door and trudged wearily into the flat. He collapsed on the sofa looking around, not really knowing what to do. He knew he should start his nightly rituals soon if he wanted to get to bed at a half decent hour.

He dragged himself off the sofa and into the bathroom. He gasped out loud when he looked in the mirror. Looking down and seeing Jack's body was one thing but seeing his intense eyes staring out at him from the mirror was just too much. He turned abruptly from the mirror and went to switch the shower on.

He stood under the stream of hot water for a long while, letting the steam ease his tension. He looked down at the body so unlike his own, running his hands over the muscular planes of the chest he had laid his head on so many times. He sighed heavily as he stepped out of the shower. He grabbed a towel, making sure to avoid the mirror as he did.

He dried off and got into his pajamas. He then laid out his clothes for the next day, as he always did. He wondered briefly if the clothes would even fit him, Jack being a bit taller than he was. He dismissed the thought and climbed into bed, exhausted. Tired as he was, he knew he wouldn't be getting much sleep that night. His thoughts turned to Jack, as they so often did, when he was alone. He wondered if he would ever see him properly again and a wave of sadness washed over him at the thought of never again being held in the arms he now possessed.

His mind wandered to the talk he had had with Jack earlier. He still wished he had told him the truth. He knew he loved Jack and there was nothing he could do to change that but he didn't want to. He knew that one day, he would die and Jack would just carry on and forget him. That hurt the most. Knowing the one person he cared most about would eventually forget he had ever even existed.

He thought of Jack alone at the HUB in his body and a playful smile touched his lips. Ianto closed his eyes and despite his earlier worries, fell asleep with Jack's face drifting, lazily through his mind.


	3. Bloody Torchwood

**Author's Note**

Tosh and Owen go home and spend an unusual night while Gwen has some explaining to do.

**The Disclaimer: **I own nothing. All rights belong to Russell T. Davies and BBC. I make no money and intend no harm.

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy it, any reviews or comments would be great. :)

* * *

><p>Tosh stepped gingerly through her front door, as if afraid to move in her new body. She immediately went into her bedroom to change, uncomfortable in Gwen's tight jeans and leather jacket. Once she had changed, she went to the full-length mirror in her room, unable to resist.<p>

She stood there for a long time, hardly believing what she was seeing. She reached a hand up and touched her cheek, Gwen's cheek. She ran a hand through her too long hair, sighing. She turned away from the mirror and looked around her room, at the bed she rarely slept in.

She suddenly found herself wondering why she devoted so much of her time to a job that was more dangerous and life threatening than rewarding. She wasn't getting any younger and most of the women her age were settling down and having kids whereas she was still pining after the same man that she had been for years.

It was then that she remembered why she did it. It had started out as a way to escape, but it had become so much more to her. Torchwood was her life. She loved helping and protecting people and she'd be lying to herself if she said she didn't like the danger and excitement just a little bit.

She knew she should be out living her life, instead of finding it a rare treat whenever she saw natural daylight. She knew that the life expectancy for Torchwood members was not long at all. She knew all this, yet she stayed, she had to, she couldn't just walk away. All the things she'd done, everything she had seen, she wouldn't have missed it for the world and she couldn't just let it all go.

Tosh looked over at the clock and realized it was after one. She got into bed, curled up and tried to get some sleep. She found herself instead, thinking of Owen. She was suddenly gripped with terror when she realized that he was at home, all alone with in her body.

She shifted uncomfortably in bed, knowing that by now he had probably seen everything.

It's not that she didn't want him to see, just not now, not like this. She fell asleep wondering what he would say tomorrow, at work.

Owen entered his flat, threw his keys on the counter and immediately walked to the fridge to get a drink. Usually, he'd go to a pub after a long day at work. He'd drink a pint; maybe meet a girl too, if he was lucky. As if he'd be able to pick up a girl looking like he did now. He looked down at himself and wondered why Tosh always covered up so much, she wasn't bad looking.

He looked around, as if checking to see if there was anyone else in his deserted flat. He quickly peaked down his own shirt, feeling like a naughty schoolboy. He suddenly got an uncomfortable feeling, as he was being watched. He looked up quickly, not seeing anyone.

He put his beer down and his heat fell when he realized he had to pee. He thought that maybe he could hold it, but it soon became obvious that would not be an option. He walked slowly to the bathroom and inched inside. He looked down at the toilet and then down at the flared jeans he wore. He sighed and without too much difficulty, managed to successfully use the toilet as a woman, for the first and hopefully last time.

He went into his bedroom feeling a little triumphant. He walked to his dresser and looked for something he could he put on. He desperately wanted to get out of Tosh's clothes, they were too constricting. He found the smallest clothes he had and they still ended up being much too long for Tosh's short legs.

He got into bed and lay there just staring at the ceiling. He thought about Tosh and wondered how she was handling the change. She hadn't said much earlier, though she never really said much anyway. He liked that about her. He thought about his new body and thought he might have liked to see it properly someday.

Owen knew Tosh had a thing for him and he thought that maybe when this whole thing was over, he might ask her out. It's not like he was in love with her or anything but he thought she was sweet. Someone he had something in common with.

Not like Gwen. That was just sex; there was no real emotion there, not on his part anyway. Tosh was nice, Tosh was safe. He thought that he might be happy with her, well as happy as he could be, working for Torchwood. He thought of Gwen again and couldn't stop himself from laughing. She'd have told Rhys by now. He wondered how he had taken it, not well, probably.

Someone would definitely be sleeping on the sofa tonight. He laughed again as he rolled over, thinking that his situation was bad but it could be a whole lot worse.

Gwen crept through her front door as quietly as she could; hoping Rhys was already in bed. Of course he wasn't. He was sitting at the kitchen table, the remnants of dinner spread out in front him. He must have heard her creeping through the living room because he looked up and realizing that it wasn't his wife, leapt to his feet.

"Who the hell are you?" he shouted, searching the kitchen for something he could use as a weapon. He spotted a rolling pin on the counter and snatched it up, holding it in front of him like a club. "I'm warning you. My wife is a cop and she'll be home any minute."

Gwen held her hands up, showing him they were empty. "Take it easy, Rhys. It's me, and I'm not a cop anymore."

"How do you know my name? What do you want from me?" Rhys yelled.

It's me Gwen, I swear. You have to believe me." she said, pleadingly.

"You're not my Gwen. You're a man!" he said, terrified. "Oh God! What have you done with her? Where is Gwen?"

"I am Gwen. Something happened at work, something alien." she said, trying to calm him down.

At the mention of aliens, Rhys relaxed a little, but still held onto the rolling pin. "You're Gwen?" he asked, uncertainly.

"Yes, it's me." she said, smiling.

"I-I don't believe you." he stammered. "Prove it."

"On our wedding day you saved my life and from that moment on I knew that no matter what happened you would always be there for me. I need you to be there for me now, Rhys."

"God, it really is you! How did this happen?" asked Rhys, releasing the rolling pin and taking a step towards her.

"I don't know." she said. "We found this thing, this sphere thing. It blew up and we all woke up in different bodies."

"Well, whose body is it? Just some random bloke or…"

"It's a guy I work with, Owen." said Gwen.

"Wait! I think I've met him before. Wasn't he at our wedding? I know you looked familiar."

"Yeah, that's him." she said.

"I'm gonna kill that Harkness." said Rhys angrily. "He's always getting you mixed up in alien stuff."

"It's not his fault." said Gwen smiling at him. "Alien stuff is my job, besides if you hurt him it'll be Ianto who really suffers."

"Isn't Ianto the bloke he's shagging? Oh, that is just wrong." said Rhys looking slightly disgusted.

"It's not like we got to pick." said Gwen, laughing.

"How long will you be like this? I mean it's not permanent…is it?"

"No, no. it's just temporary. A few days at the most. We'll figure it out, and then we'll all be back to normal. Well, normal for us." she said.

"It's late," said Rhys, still looking at her funny. "You've had a long day. You should probably get to bed. I hope you don't mind if I sleep on the sofa tonight. I love you, but not that much."

"Oh shut up." she said, laughing. "I love you, you big idiot."

"Feelings mutual," he said smiling. "G'night love."

"Goodnight." said Gwen over her shoulder as she walked into the bedroom they shared.

"And don't be in there looking at yourself, either!" Rhys shouted from the sofa.

"Don't worry, I won't." she shouted back. If he only knew, she thought.

She changed into pajamas that were much too small for her and climbed into bed. She hoped what she had said to Rhys about not being stuck like this for long was true. As she drifted off to sleep she thanked God that she didn't have to go to the bathroom.

While Gwen slept in the other room, Rhys lay awkwardly on the sofa. He wanted to be sleeping in _his_ bed, with _his_ wife, but no, he was stuck on the lumpy sofa. And why? An alien thing, great! He rolled over violently and punched at the pillows under his head, muttering angrily to himself.

"Bloody Torchwood!"


	4. The Hunt

**Author's Note**

The team regroup and set about trying to catch an alien and find a way to put themselves right again.

**The Disclaimer: **I own nothing. All rights belong to Russell T. Davies and BBC. I make no money and intend no harm.

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy it, any reviews or comments would be great. :)

* * *

><p>The whole team arrived late to the HUB the next day. Ianto arrived an hour after he usually did, having found it difficult to get dressed. He must have tried on half a dozen suits before he realized that none of them were going to fit Jack's broad frame. He eventually gave up and wore the same clothes he had gone home in. Ianto pottered about cleaning up and making coffee, all the while avoiding Jack.<p>

Tosh arrived a half an hour after Ianto, dressed in her own clothes. She had had more success than Ianto, Gwen being about the same size as her. She went straight to her computer and started typing away, pretending to work, acting as if nothing had changed.

Next came Gwen, shortly after Tosh, dressed simply in jeans and a T-shirt. She wandered about the HUB and like Tosh, pretended she was working. She made sure to steer clear of Tosh, wherever she went.

Owen arrived and unlike the others, he stormed straight in, wearing his own clothes with everything rolled up to fit Tosh's small frame and demanded that something be done. : What are you lot just laying about for? We should be doing something. I don't know about you but I don't want to be a woman forever." he shouted, making them all jump.

As if on cue, Jack stepped out of his office and walked down to where the rest of the team had gathered around Owen. "He's right," said Jack. "Now that we're all here we should get to work. First things first. We have to find that creature. It was in possession of the sphere and we don't know if it just found it or if it was guarding, either way it's a start. Tosh," he said, turning to look at her. "Is there something on that sphere that would be on the creature too? Something you could trace?"

"There was a trace element on them both. It was like nothing I've ever seen before. It was like a cross between radiation and traces found on certain metals."

"Whatever it is, can you trace it?" asked Jack.

"Well, it won't be easy." she said. "It originated from the sphere, so what's on the creature got there by contact only. It will have faded significantly by now, making it almost impossible to trace."

"I have faith in you." Jack said, smiling. "Okay, the rest of you. I want you researching. Go through ever Torchwood record involving body displacement. We may not be the first. Also, check every rift spike that occurred yesterday. This creature may not have been the only one to come through. Let me know when you get something." He abruptly turned and disappeared into his office.

"He's still just as bossy." Owen grumbled as he made his way down into the vaults to check the storage area where all the old Torchwood records were kept.

Gwen sighed as she settled down at her computer and pulled up all the records of rift activity from the day before. Tosh retreated to her workstation to see if she could track the creature down. Ianto, not knowing what to do with himself, and being good with research, followed Owen down into the vaults.

Several hours passed in this fashion and not a word was spoken by anyone. Finally, Jack emerged from his office, calling down to them, "Okay, what do we got?"

"I've got a trace on the creature, but it's still too faint to get an exact location. I'll keep working at it."

"What about the rest of you?"

"I've been checking rift activity from yesterday but there wasn't really much to begin with and there's nothing at all like the sphere."

At that moment, Ianto and Owen came up from the vaults, each carrying several files and looking dusty.

"What about you two? You find anything?" asked Jack.

"It turns out that this sort of thing has happened before." said Ianto. "There's even a pamphlet on what not to do when you find yourself in a new body."

"Anything at all like what happened here?" Jack asked them.

"Not at all." said Owen. "No spheres, no explosions. There was a case of a bloke who ate some bad Thai food and woke up a dog, but that's a whole other story."

"Well, that means our only lead id this creature. Hopefully it knows more than we do. Any luck on that trace, Tosh?"

"I've got a general location. The trace element had all but worn off; this is the closest I could get. I don't know if it will be enough." said Tosh.

"I'll have to be enough." said Jack. "Okay, everyone get ready, we leave in five minutes."

They all piled into the SUV, following the faint readings coming from the creature. They had been driving for about twenty minutes before they reached the place where the creature had been hiding.

"We're right on top of it. Do you see anything?" asked Tosh.

"I don't see it. Let's get out and have a look around." said Jack getting out of the car.

They proceeded to scour the dirty, weed filled property that they had been led to. Owen kicked aside an empty can as he made his way through the trash-strewn lot. He suddenly came across a sewer entrance and groaned. "Bloody Hell!" he shouted to the others. "It's in the sewers."

They quickly gathered around the sewers entrance, disgust etched on their faces. Tosh looked up from her hand held saying "It makes sense, that's why the signal was so weak. It's underground."

"There is no way I'm going down there." said Gwen defiantly.

"We're all going down there. Ianto help me with this." said Jack grasping one side of the cover while Ianto took the other. Together they managed to drag it off. They stood panting and peering into the black hole.

"We'd better get moving." said Jack. "Tosh, which way is it?"

"Let's see," said Tosh, referring to her handheld. "Once you're down go left and I'll direct you from there."

"All right, see you down there." said Jack grabbing the top rung of the rusty metal ladder and lowering himself down. The others followed quickly, Tosh bringing up the rear.

Once down they hugged the slimy walls, staying as far away from the river of putrid smelling water running through the sewer. They slowly made their way through the darkened tunnel, side stepping rats as they went. They came upon a fork in the tunnel and paused, the light from their flashlights barely penetrating the darkness.

"Go right." said Tosh from behind them. "We're getting close."

They turned down a darker and narrower passage. "It's just up ahead." said Tosh. "In a closed off tunnel, to the left, about twenty meters away."

They raised their guns and slowly inched down the tunnel until they could see the dead end. They looked to Jack, as they always did in these moments. He stepped ahead and motioned for them to follow. They closed the gap between them and the dead end as Jack took a syringe out of his pocket.

In the syringe was an extra strength sedative, guaranteed to knock anything out for several hours. Jack stopped short, turned to the others and held his hand up for them to stay. Ianto looked worried but said nothing. Jack took a step forward and quickly turned the corner, his gun pointed at nothing. All he saw was a large grate blocking off the tunnel, no alien.

He was about to turn away when a movement caught his eye. He looked up, but it was too late. The creature was on him in an instant, leaping from the ceiling and latching its large jaws on his throat. He yelled out in shock and the others came running, guns raised.

"Don't shoot!" cried Jack. He gripped the syringe, amazed he had managed to hold onto it. He wrapped his arms around the creature's neck and was able to shift it to the side a bit. He swung his arm up and buried the needle in the creature's neck.

Jack shoved the massive body off him and staggered to his feet. He lifted a hand and felt his neck. He had felt large chunks of flesh being chewed off but all he felt now was a small scratch and a lot of blood. He sighed, realizing his curse of immortality had followed him.

For a brief moment during the struggle, he has wondered if he was going to die. Not the usual, just another day at the office death, but real death. As he thought about it, he realized a part of him wished he had died. He looked to his team, seeing the concern on their faces and suddenly felt ashamed. He couldn't die, not while there were people who needed him.

"I'm fine." he said reassuringly. "Not a scratch on me. We better get him home before he wakes up."

Jack, Ianto, and Owen all grabbed hold of the creature and started dragging it back the way they had come. After a lot of grunting and cursing, they managed to heave the creature up the ladder and into the back of the SUV.

They climbed into the SUV and drove quickly back to the HUB, afraid the creature would wake up before they got there. Once at the HUB they hauled the creature down to the vaults and put it in a cell to sleep off the sedative. They stood outside the cell hesitantly, looking at one another.

"Well," said Owen bluntly. "What do we do now?"


	5. Questions Answered

**Author's Note**

The team interrogates the creature and finally get some answers.

**The Disclaimer: **I own nothing. All rights belong to Russell T. Davies and BBC. I make no money and intend no harm.

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy it, any reviews or comments would be great. :)

* * *

><p>The team stood around the creature, which was tied to a chair and beginning to wake up. It looked a bit like a weevil and was shaped more or less like a human but unlike the weevil it had thin papery skin and its' eyes lacked the bestial savagery that the weevils possessed. Sitting in the chair, all tied up, it looked meek and afraid, almost pitiful.<p>

"Have you seen anything like this before, Jack?" asked Gwen.

"Yeah," said Jack thoughtfully. "A long time ago. It's a Daor. They're a slave race, bred on certain planets and bought by the hardworking citizens of the universe. I'd say this one was made to guard that sphere. From what and for whom, I have no idea. Why don't we ask our friend here?"

"No good." said Owen. "I've been talking to him for half an hour; don't think he can understand us."

"Course he can." said Jack smiling. "The Daor can speak every language, its part of the job description, isn't that right."

"That is correct." said the Daor in a slightly hoarse voice.

"Bloody hell!" said Owen angrily. "Why didn't you answer me?"

"It was funnier that way." said the Daor.

"Funnier!" shouted Owen outraged.

"The Daor are known throughout the galaxy for their sense of humor." said Jack suppressing a laugh. "Anyway, back to the point. You have got some explaining to do. First off, what is that sphere and why do you have it?"

"It is a travel capsule, my master left it in my possession."

"Yeah? And where's your master?" asked Jack.

"He is here." said the Daor simply.

"What do you mean he is here?" asked Jack.

"My master is in the capsule." the Daor said.

"You mean there's an alien inside the sphere?" asked Owen horrified.

"I've scanned that sphere dozens of times, there's no life inside it." said Tosh.

"It's a trick." said the Daor. "In case it falls into the wrong hands, the metal tricks your scans so that no life registers on them."

"Genius" whispered Tosh impressed.

"That's great technology and all," said Jack impatiently. "But what's your master doing in the sphere in the first place"

"My master's planet was destroyed. He knew it was the end so he hid himself away in the capsule and he gave me a transporter. He told me to search the galaxy until I found a new planet for him. I have been traveling for many years but no planet I have encountered can sustain my master. I was preparing to leave the planet I was on to keep looking when a bright light flashed and I ended up here."

"The rift." said Gwen softly.

"I was frightened and when I saw all of you coming for me I panicked and dropped my master and fled. I'm sorry if I hurt you." the Daor said looking at Jack.

"You nearly chewed my head off." said Jack disgruntled.

"I thought you had come to kill me. I needed to get away to find my master."

"We only wanted answers." said Jack. "Like, what the hell has your precious master done to us?"

"What do you mean?" asked the Daor innocently.

"That capsule exploded and we all woke up in each others bodies. How the hell did that happen?" asked Jack forcefully.

"Oh," said the Daor, realization dawning on his face. "I see you must have activated security protocol 37."

"Yeah and what's that?" asked Jack.

"The capsule is programmed to my touch only. If anyone else touches it one of 40 security protocols will be activated. 37 is one of the more humorous ones." said the Daor chuckling. "My master's race are a very peaceful people. They would never want to hurt anyone, just deter them."

"That's all this was" asked Jack incredulously. "A way to stop us touching it?"

"Precisely." said the Daor.

"Okay," said Jack. "Then how do we reverse it?"

"Simple, once the threat has been removed you should return to your original state."

"Well, how do we know when the threats gone?" asked Owen. "We haven't touched the damn thing since it blew up."

"If you let me hold it, it will register my touch and know that it is in safe hands once more." said the Daor.

"I don't buy it." said Owen suspiciously. "He could be lying about the whole thing. It could be a weapon."

"No." said Jack. "He's telling the truth. The Daor are installed with these chips that prevent them from lying. Good thing to have in a servant, truthfulness. But, there's still one thing you haven't told us. What exactly is you master? Where is he from?"

"My master is a Verloren from the planet Koti." said the Daor.

"Koti?" asked Jack disbelievingly. "That's impossible."

"Have you heard of it?" asked Gwen.

"Yeah, long time ago." said Jack. "Koti is just a legend, the Verloren were wiped out centuries ago."

"Yes." said the Daor sadly. "We have been traveling a long time."

Jack stood lost in thought for a moment. "Tosh, bring him the sphere. Owen, untie him."

"What, you're just gonna trust it?" asked Owen in disbelief.

"Yes!"

Owen begrudgingly untied the Daor and stepped quickly away from it, looking wary. Tosh came back holding the sphere gingerly and set it gently in the Daor's waiting arms. It glowed softly at his touch. "It should take a couple of minutes for you to turn back, so please be patient."

Several minutes passed in silence and nothing happened. Owen was about to open his mouth to complain when he suddenly felt warm all over. He looked down and he was glowing the same color as the sphere. He felt his stomach drop as if he were falling, he closed his eyes and when he looked down again he smiled. "Thank God. I'm back! I missed you old boy." he said looking down.

"That's wrong." said Gwen. "I've had that thing for two days now and it's not that fun."

"Glad to see your just as chipper as always, Gwen." said Owen unable to stop smiling.

Jack looked down at himself and was relieved to see his own body once more, his familiar coat wrapped securely around him. He looked over to see both Tosh and Ianto smiling happily down at themselves.

Owen broke the happy silence. "So, what do we do with him?"

"We let him go." said Jack. "That's all we can do for him. Maybe he'll find a new home someday."

"He's been alone foe hundreds of years just searching for a new home." said Gwen sadly. "What if he never finds one?"

"There's always hope." said Jack.

Later on that evening, Jack sat at his desk absentmindedly shuffling papers when Ianto walked in. He walked forward and leaned against the desk, looking at Jack carefully.

"Everyone gone?" asked Jack.

"Yup, just me left." said Ianto. "Gwen wanted to get back to Rhys and Owen seemed eager to find the nearest pub. I can't imagine why."

"The Daor?"

"He's gone. He took the sphere and just left." said Ianto.

"I hope he finds what he's looking for someday." said Jack.

"What about you?" asked Ianto

"What about me?" replied Jack enigmatically.

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Who said I was looking for something?" Jack said avoiding his question.

"Do you miss it, the traveling?" asked Ianto changing the subject.

"A bit." said Jack thoughtfully. "When I was younger I would have shuddered at the thought of living permanently in the past, especially the 21st century. But, I've grown up a lot since then and it's not like I can just leave. Even so, I'm glad I'm here. I left home a long time ago and since then, nothing has been the same but here and now feels like home. More so than anywhere I've been in a really long time."

"So you're happy here, then?" asked Ianto.

Jack's smile was touched with sadness as he rose from his chair and walked to where Ianto stood looking at him uncertainly. He wrapped his arms around the man he loved so dearly. "Yes, I'm happy here." said Jack. "Ianto?"

"Yeah, Jack?" Ianto replied.

Jack cupped Ianto's face in his hands and kissed him gently. He pulled away slowly and smiled at Ianto. "I found what I was looking for."

FIN


End file.
